With the advent of computers, interactive electronic communications, and the Internet, as well as advances in the digital realm of consumer information, has come a reinvention of conventional entertainment and communication services to enhance programming, recording, and viewing of multimedia, such as broadcast television programs. Traditionally, broadcast media, being based on pre-computer age technology, has developed on its own path, without any regard to other media systems. However, with readily available, cost-effective broadband services, bandwidth intensive applications, such as video streaming, have become viable alternatives to legacy broadcast systems.
It is recognized that modern lifestyles have become so reliant on digital interfaces that media devices, such as set-top boxes (STB), are developing into important iconographies of media content accessibility. As such, an increasing number of individuals are utilizing STBs to achieve the advantages of ubiquitous access to information. Advances in technology, services, and affordability can be better applied to foster the enrichment of communities.
For example, local governments have the opportunity to produce community-initiated programming to address local issues and concerns. Suppliers of multimedia services (such as cable television suppliers) provide local governments a forum for individuals to televise viewpoints, content, events, and other matters of local interest, via dedicated public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access channels. These PEG channels have also been made available to school systems for providing educational programming, and to local governments for televising public hearings, or making accessible other information of interest to local residents. Traditionally, there has been no or very little effort to “modernize” access to such information.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach for seamlessly integrating broadcast and digital content.